April 20 - COVID-19 Update

All staff and clients have now been notified about Bedford’s eligibility for JobKeeer payments. We held a number of toolbox meetings and distributed communications to staff, clients, carers and support workers and we are now in the processing of registering for JobKeeper.

JobKeeper is a $130 billion Australian Government initiative to help keep more Australians in jobs and support businesses affected by the significant economic impact caused by the Coronavirus.

Bedford fits the criteria to be eligible for JobKeeper and payments to Bedford will be triggered when our revenue, for a comparative period drops by 15%. We anticipate that we will soon see that 15% drop in our revenue.

That’s a serious drop in revenue when our costs are essentially the same. The JobKeeper Payment will give Bedford much needed financial support during this challenging period, assisting us to retain our workforce and leave us in a stronger position after COVID-19 restrictions are lifted and the Australian economy slowly recovers.

Like any Government payment, there is an application process. All Bedford staff and employees have now received a form to fill in to provide their consent for Bedford, if they are eligible, to nominate them to receive JobKeeper payments.

Below you will find a link to the Government’s JobKeeper Payment Frequently Asked Questions.

If you would like assistance with completing the JobKeeper Employee Nomination Notice form, or have questions please contact the COVID-19 hotline: 0429 135 448 or 0429 124 648 (Mon to Fri 8:30am – 5.00pm) or email: covidhelp@bedfordgroup.com.au.

Other updates

It is important to note there are still no known cases of COVID-19 at any of our Bedford sites.

As always, the health of our clients and staff is our highest priority and we continue to have several precautions in place and follow government recommended protocols to ensure everyone’s safety and well-being and to minimise the risk of infection.

As stated in our last update, our dedicated COVID-19 taskforce has created a Response Plan and Operating Model to keep the lights on and ensure Bedford will come out as strong as it can after this health crisis.

As of Tuesday 14 April 2020, our hospitality and lotteries and fundraising employees and staff have successfully transitioned to other areas of our business. Our Gepps Cross site and Panorama manufacturing team will be transitioning to other business units as of this Friday 24 April 2020.